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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mercurius" data-source="post: 6620649" data-attributes="member: 59082">I can't seem to get the preview to work - my browser says it can't connect to the server. I'll check again, though.A few folks have already answered this, but I'll say again that it really comes down to time. I very much agree, and I worry that decisions are made in reaction against such situations, as if conflating execution and idea. As I think you imply here, what the Realms (or any setting, imo) needs is more usable, smaller parts. If I were WotC, I might not even start with a full campaign guide, but rather start with a Sword Coast hardcover. The first fifty pages or so could be an overview of the Realms as a whole, but the rest would be a detailed presentation of the Sword Coast, then with an even more detailed focus on a specific region that could be used as a starting area for a Sword Coast campaign. Then maybe in another year you could do the Dalelands, a year after that Thay and the Unapproachable East, and so forth. Alongside each region book you could publish a story arc that brings it to life. But unlike prior editions, you don't need to do every corner of the Realms - because there is a financial diminishing returns the further you go from core, archetypal D&D - which is best represented by the Sword Coast and Dalelands. Finally, each book could have an appendix describing products from past editions, sort of like an annotated bibliography - or maybe that would be online, a PDF file with hyperlinks to dndclassics.com.I agree with you, although personally think where past editions got derailed was too much player material. But the real missing link, imo, is the lack of short adventures and setting materials.Yes, I agree. And it seems that they clearly reduced to a skeleton crew, just enough to guide this minimalist approach. But what I find odd is that we've heard that 5E is a smashing success, more so than expected even, yet we haven't seen any ramping up. I would have thought that this success would at least lead to a slightly expanded minimalist approach. I don't expect or even want the glut and treadmill of past editions, but there's a huge spectrum between the minimalism that we've seen and the excesses of 2E, 3E, and 4E.I have no idea what is financially viable, but if I were running the show I'd go for something like this, per annum:*One big Pathfinder-esque hardcover splat - e.g. Manual of the Planes, Unearthed Arcana, etc.*One Monster Manual or Fiend Folio in hardcover form.*One new region book for the Realms (or focus setting of choice).*One story arc for the region book.*One big box set with a theme setting booklet, book of adventures, and story arc (e.g. something like Night Below).*Two or three shorter one-off adventures.*One or two miscellaneous products - probably softcover (e.g. Book of Lairs, new or classic setting gazetteers, possibly to be expanded later, etc).That's 4 hardcover products, 1 box set, and 3-5 softcovers - so 8-10 products overall. Hardly a glut, but far more satisfying and diversified than what we see now. Alternately, or additionally, they could have an OGL and reduce some of the product above, like the one-off adventures, and produce only 5-8 books per year.</blockquote>

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